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The Education Gadfly Show

The podcast kicks off the new year in style, with special guest commentary from Diane Ravitch on what 2012 will bring. Amber sees charter-school closures as a glass half empty and Chris loves up some celebrations.

This last 2011 installment of the Gadfly Show won’t disappoint, with Mike joined by Chris Tessone (formerly of Dollars and Sen$e fame). The two reflect on the past year in education reform before getting serious about charters, special education, and the achievement-gap truth. Amber splashes cold water on the teacher-residency model and Chris Irvine sees Santa-red.

Mike and Daniela go edu-meta, asking whether the accountability era has run its course, what the role of for-profits are in digital education, and how state-run districts and schools may reshape governance. Amber investigates the science “proficiency illusion” and Chris channels the Grinch.

This week, Mike and Rick debate the finer points of Maine constitutional law, pontificate on why Baltimore's school leaders refuse to learn from success stories in their midst, and put under the microscope PEN's new report about public opinion of NCLB. Nelson Smith discusses National Charter Schools Week, and News of the Weird has a serious case of Stockholm syndrome. This ain't your father's 15-minute podcast!

Mike and Rick wax political, and then dig deep on Maryland?s Race to the Top grant, online credit recovery programs, and the downward slope of American educational attainment. Amber dazzles with a review of education-related census data and Chris disproves the old adage that quality trumps quantity.

This week, Mike and Rick debate the finer points of Maine constitutional law, pontificate on why Baltimore's school leaders refuse to learn from success stories in their midst, and put under the microscope PEN's new report about public opinion of NCLB. Nelson Smith discusses National Charter Schools Week, and News of the Weird has a serious case of Stockholm syndrome. This ain't your father's 15-minute podcast!

Mike and Janie discuss Fordham's new paper on Common Core implementation and governance, and get into the sort-of good, the oh-so-bad, and the ugly truth of teachers unions. Amber shows how great Montgomery County is, and Amanda admires the Maine outdoors.

This week, Mike and Rick talk about ''teacher proofing''; why Florida should be like the IRS; and LDH, which sounds like a drug but isn't. Punctuation Man stops by to chat, and Education News of the Weird is very good, sir.

With both Mike and Rick at the PIE-Network annual summit, the podcast got a little crazy (in a good way). Co-hosts Chris, Janie, and Daniela talk NCLB waivers, the efficacy of the MCAS, and the truth about delaying Kindergarten. Amber shows that high property taxes don?t buy you an internationally competitive education and Chris trains a service animal.

About the Education Gadfly Show

For more than eight years, the Fordham Institute has been hosting a weekly podcast, The Education Gadfly Show. Each week, you’ll get three lively, entertaining discussions of recent education news, usually featuring Fordham’s Mike Petrilli, with questions read by Ellen Alpaugh. Then the wise Amber Northernwill recap a recent research study.

Download the podcast using the link to the left or subscribe via iTunes.